In the debate on climate, biological diversity, food and other sustainable development issues, we may see toxic communication. There are 8 toxic technics we may look for, avoid and go beyond:
Here are technics number 1, 2, 3: Make invisible. Make you to laughter. Keep back information.
I: Make invisible, ignore you
1.First they ignore you
Mahatma Ghandi said this is the first step in a power communication against you. Early warners of ecological problems were among others Rachel Carson, »Silent spring» 1962, «Limits to growth» and «Blueprint for survival» 1972. How were the warners treated? They treat you as air. They go beyond you. This hurts the principle - to include of you. To include means to see and hear you, and have pleasure together with you. A version of ignore may be to deny facts. It may be to say that manmade climate change is not real. If you don’t stop to say what you mean, be you and live your life - they may go to next mechanism:
II: Make you to laughter, discounting you
This is about the power to define. Examples:
2.You are not good enough
They may attack your person: «You are too young. You are too old. You don’t have the right education. You are not expert or professor. You have grown up a wrong place. Some in your family are bad people.»
3.Name-calling, put a label on you
«You are a doomesday prophet!» They put a negative name on you. Name-calling may be used to criticise your values, beliefs, opinions and insights. Rather than target your argument, they target and attack you as a person and seek to undermine your credibility and intelligence. To attack on your person is a quick and easy way to put you down. They create a competiton on social status, hierarchy or order. In their world, only they can ever be right. Anyone who dares to say against them – «creates an injury and rage inside them». They do not manage to be argued against or meet resistance. They invalidate your right to be a separate person with a right to your own meanings, values and perspectives. They do not respect you as a separte person.
Solution: End any interaction and communicate you will not tolerate it. Don’t internalise the name-label.
4.Aggressive jabs disguised as jokes
When they use insensitive harsh remarks, they may call it to be «just jokes». They claim you have no sense of humour. «You should withstand as little as that!» They may say bad things - while still be innocent. They play innocent. They may have sadistic gleam in their eyes. They get pleasure by hurting you and getting away from it.
5.Condescending sarcasm and patronising tone, irony
They degrade and look down at a person with sarcasm. They may use a looking down on you tone of voice. They first use provocative words, then if you react, they say you must be «too sensitive». This is a double communication, it confuses you to brain chaos, cognitive dissonance. If it continues, you may find yourself influenced. You may self sensure yourself and accept abuse.
Solution: Stand up. «Don’t speak to me like a child!»
III: Keep back information
6.When some get information and others «are forgotten» -
som get a handicap and disadvantage in the start. They go behind your back.
Read more in my book: Forbi hersketknikker og fryktkultur
https://www.helgechristie.com/butikk/helge-christies-16-bok-forbi-hersketeknikker
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